Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and House Republicans urged President Joe Biden’s Pentagon to stop escalating a “dangerous” war with Russia, as the “same idiots” pushed the Iraq war.
Vance and Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as influential media outlets such as Foreign Affairs have called to lift the restriction on the number of American government personnel allowed in Ukraine and across its defense apparatus.
Foreign Affairs explained:
Sending advisers would increase the number of Ukrainian soldiers who receive top-of-the-line training. It would enhance Washington’s understanding of Kyiv’s material needs, allowing U.S. policymakers to fine-tune the aid they already provide and offer psychological assurance to Ukraine. Positioning U.S. advisers inside Ukraine would let Washington better champion crucial defense reforms that could pave Ukraine’s path toward NATO and EU membership. Advisers would give the United States an added layer of oversight, as well, ensuring that aid is both optimized and employed responsibly. And, critically, deploying advisers would deliver these results at a reasonable cost.
The outlet tried to allay some officials’ fear by stating that “so long as the United States places its advisers inside Ukraine but outside the battlefield,” then Russia will not view this as an American escalation against Russia.
Vance, Roy, and Gaetz cautioned that any military adviser mission risks severe escalation with a nuclear-armed Russia.
They wrote, “A military adviser mission to Ukraine would run a significant escalatory risk with Russia. It would mean placing additional “boots on the ground” in the midst of a direct and bloody conflict with Russia. Harm to our personnel under such a mission would be a tragedy, and could easily trigger Article IV consultations or even an Article V collective security declaration by our NATO Allies under the Washington Treaty. A military adviser mission would be one more step towards a dangerous, unnecessary war between the United States and Russia.”
“We write to ask whether the U.S. government plans now, or in the future, to deploy an adviser mission to Ukraine, either U.S. direct-hire personnel or contractors, whether under foreign affairs, military, or intelligence authorities,” the conservatives continued. “We request a response by October 3, 2023.”
Instead, they argued, “The appropriate focus of the U.S. government at this moment should be to bring active hostilities between Ukraine and Russia to as swift a conclusion as possible, both to prevent a regional conflict on Europe’s doorstep from spiraling out of control and to enable the expeditious reconstruction and rehabilitation of Ukraine.”
Watch: MTG Warns of Ukraine War, WW3 Threat: “We Are Creating a War Against Nuclear-Armed” Russia
Jack Knudsen / Breitbart NewsThe conservatives’ letter to Austin comes as the Biden administration recently supplied Ukraine with Abrams tanks. The Kremlin warned Tuesday that these American-supplied tanks will “burn.”
The provision of American tanks to Ukraine contrasts with Biden’s commentary from March 2022 that any provision of American tanks would amount to “World War III.”
“The idea that we’re going to send in offensive equipment and have planes and tanks and trains going in with American pilots and American crews — just understand, don’t kid yourself, no matter what y’all say, that’s called World War III,” he said.
Vance also slammed Noah Rothman, a senior writer at the National Review, who attacked the senator for suggesting that America should not “rush” into a protracted, 20-year conflict such as the war in Iraq.
Rothman said in response that the premise of Vance’s argument is that “America is the bad guy.” Vance responded, saying:
1) The same idiots who push the most aggressive posture in Ukraine (you) did the same in Iraq (also you).
2) The bizarre and reflexive WW2 analogies. “If we don’t stop him here….” “Neville Chamberlain also said….”
3) The defense of the policy in terms of generic institutional deference and international norms rather than concrete American interest.
4) The belief that tough talk and suicidal depletion of resources is an effective deterrent rather than, say, not wasting thousands of lives, billions of dollars, and much of our modern weapons of war.
5) The mission creep. From eliminating weapons of mass destruction to building a liberal democracy in Iraq. From stopping the Russian advance to reclaiming every inch of territory to toppling Putin in Eastern Europe.
6) The moralistic defense of our policies (freedom! democracy!) despite the fact that our client states are neither free nor democratic.
7) The failure of our elites to acknowledge that our policies are enabling the persecution of historic Christian communities.
8) The fact that our policies unite our adversaries together—Iraq and Iran then, Russia and China now.
9) Both led (or will lead) to massive refugee crises that destabilize European allies and threaten our security. (I’m sure you and others will try to distance yourselves from the consequences of driving up food prices and migration pressures for the entire continent of Africa.)
10) Both empower China.
1) The same idiots who push the most aggressive posture in Ukraine (you) did the same in Iraq (also you).
2) the bizarre and reflexive WW2 analogies. “If we don’t stop him here….” “Neville Chamberlain also said….”
3) The defense of the policy in terms of generic institutional… https://t.co/hCfMXnlhDc
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) September 26, 2023
He added, “Other than that, yeah, totally different.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
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